Cohesion the key to success

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This article was published 04/08/2022 (1388 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s U20 men will need to play a cohesive team game to win volleyball gold at the upcoming Canada Summer Games but there will be no shortage of star power fuelling the province’s efforts.

Spencer Grahame believes you don’t have to look any further than his teammate Jon Obi, a 6-5 middle who owns a 40-inch-plus vertical leap and hits the ball like a sledgehammer.

The Transcona Collegiate grad begins his U Sports career at Trinity Western University next month but before that he’ll be a major headache for opposing defenders at the Games in Ontario’s Niagara region.

“I think they look at John a lot — he’s spectacular,” said Grahame, who was a starting left side in his rookie season with the University of Manitoba Bisons in 2021-22. “It’s really fun to watch. I think our middles particularly — Harry (Ens) and Jordy (Heppner) as well — really suck all their players right into the middle and gives our setters just an unbelievable number of great options.”

Another offensive ace for Manitoba is left side Jaxon Rose. The 6-9 1/2, 230-pounder earned a fearsome reputation in his debut season with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.

“Jaxon is is such a good player that he can play left or right and we’ll have him do both,” said Manitoba head coach Mike Stephens.

“He’s big boy. He’s got a big block. He got a big arm. He’s cool. He does some really really cool things and we’re gonna see what we’re going to unveil.”

The Dakota Collegiate product says he’s been able to put his seasoning in U Sports to good use.

“I feel like it’s helped me a ton,” he says. “(In university), you’re competing against a bunch of older guys. Even on my team, I had a 25-year-old setter, so there’s a big difference when you’re playing with 18- and 17-year-olds now, versus playing with 24-year-olds and guys who are on the national team.”

The Manitobans, who finished third at last month’s Canada Cup tune-up tournament in Calgary, have championship aspirations at the Games.

Manitoba beat Ontario in the bronze-medal game and lost a five-set marathon against eventual gold medallists from Saskatchewan in the semifinals.

“I think this team’s legit, I think we have a real good chance of winning,” says Rose.

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario are expected to contend for gold at the Canada Games.

“I think the main goal is winning it,” says Grahame. “I think we’ve got the guys in the gym to do it and I think we work really well as a team.”

Stephens had a deep talent pool from which to choose before announcing his roster on June 5.

In fact, the training camp personnel at setter also included J.J. Love and Sammy Ludwig, players with national junior team experience. Stephens and his coaching staff eventually settled on Glenlawn Collegiate grad Tristan Arnold and Vancouver Island University’s Owen Dyck.

“It was really tough, especially in my position,” says Arnold, who will start his U Sports career at the U of W this fall. “There was a lot of competition and some great, great setters.”

Stephens said the pressure-cooker atmosphere at the Canada Cup revealed a lot about his team.

“The resilience of these young men was great,” he said. “We were down a few sets and came back and showed great character, determination and fire. So that’s something they can take away, knowing that they’re never down or never out, regardless of the score.

“That was really, really good. But honestly, I’m a realist. I don’t think any team has shown what they truly have yet and they’re saving it for Niagara.”

Stephens has further plans to tinker with his lineup and make tactical adjustments before the Games but he has a major built-in advantage.

Seven of his players — Obi, Heppner, Dylan Martens, Ens, Rowan Krahn, Arnold and Kai Boyko — were teammates on the 18U Junior Bisons club that captured a national title at the youth national championships earlier this year. Any combination of these players can be an extremely cohesive group on the court.

“Everything has to be clicking,” said Stephens. “Our serve has to be good. We have to get people on the system. Our (service) receive needs to be really, really good. Our blocking needs to get better. That’s one thing we took away from the Canada Cup — just too many holes with regards to that and we need a little bit more offensive efficiency from some positions.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter @sawa14